Canadian Teen Raises $33K for Orphanages in Mexico CBC News
go to original April 10, 2012

A Yellowknife teen has raised more than $33,000 by selling cupcakes to help orphanages in Mexico.

Cole Philipp, 14, and his mother Stephanie have been raising funds for five orphanages in Mazatlan, Mexico, by selling cupcakes during the last two years.

"My original goal was $2,000 but I didn’t even think I could get to $500," said Philipp. "Now I’m at $33,363, so it’s gotten a lot bigger than I thought it was going to.”

The idea came from a social studies project when he was in Jodie Keats’ Grade 7 class at Range Lake North School. Philipp is now in Grade 9 at Sir John Franklin high school.

Keats said she had challenged her students to come up with ways to make the world a better place in which to live.

"My goal in general was just to have kids consider the world around them and the small things that people can do to make a difference,” she said.

Philipp said his drive to make a difference came from a family trip to Mexico when he saw children younger than him struggling to survive.

"In my head, I just kind of compared our two lives and how much I have compared to how little they have,” he said.

On April 17, he'll head to Mexico with his mother and his former teacher to deliver the money to the orphanages and meet the children.

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